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FATdrop improves digital promo system

FATdrop today introduced the third version of its digital promo service, which lets record labels and promotion companies manage their pre-release music.

The company has called its third-gen sevice Bamboo, and has managed to achieve many significant upgrades to the solution, making it easier than ever for labels to create, track and analyse what happens to the content they distribute – and secure digital promotion works, the company said.

The system lets labels securely distribute pre-release music, offering the ability to track and monitor who’s downloading promos, with downloads touched-up by Jova watermarking technology which gives each downloaded track a unique code, so it can be identified if it later turns up on a file- sharing site.

New features to this industry-focused service include a redesigned and flexible promo player; a promo designer, to let labels customise their own campaigns; and the option to make artwork, press releases and other non-music files available for download.

The Bamboo promo player has been rebuilt to make it more flexible for labels, and even easier for DJs and press to use to give feedback. Icons have replaced text buttons, so the player can be used worldwide. The player no longer has a DJ-specific focus, so labels can send promos to press, radio and any other industry contacts they need to share their pre-release music with.

FATdrop also revealed some statistics taken from a pre-release survey among its clients. This reveals:

– 83% labels believe digital promotion has increased the reach of their campaigns;
– Two-thirds of labels believe file-sharing has decreased their sales;
– Physical v digital promotion: The average split between physical and digital promotion for those surveyed is: 84% digital; 12% CD and 4% vinyl. A quarter of those interviewed sent only digital promos.

Almost half of those interviewed were label owners, just over a quarter were label managers and the rest were directly involved with press/promotions.